Resources

Daily Readings
It’s important to have a regular time with God. United Christian Broadcasters have some excellent daily readings called Word for the Day.

Bibles
Taking time to read a bible is going to help you in developing your relationship with God. A really easy read is the ‘Good News’ bible. It’s written in simple everyday language. Don’t try and start at the beginning and read to the end though, it’s not like other books. In fact, it’s not even all in chronological order. YouVersion have some great reading plans for you to follow on a range of subjects; even better, they have a range of bibles to read online or take away on a mobile device.

Prayers
Prayer is not just talking to God but also about listening. Having set prayers you can follow are a good start, as well as listening to others pray, but at the end of the day God wants to hear what’s on your heart. A simple way to get into praying is to find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed, close your eyes (to avoid being distracted), open your mouth and say “Dear Heavenly Father…” Let him know what’s on your mind and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Another way to pray is to take a passage from the Bible, such as the Psalms, read them and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something. Don’t worry if you get your words muddled, God looks at your heart, he knows what you mean.

Podcasts
If you spend any amount of time in a car or on a train or a bus listening to a podcast can be a good way to usefully spend that time. I recommend John Piper’s podcast Desiring God, and Joyce Meyer’s Radio Podcast.

Church
Christians were meant to be together regularly. God’s purpose was for his people to be church together, to represent his kingdom on earth and to collectively do his will. You need to be in regular contact with other christians to worship God, to encourage and pray for one-another, to serve and to support the work of the church. Take a look at my ‘Find a Church‘ article if you’re unsure how to choose where to go.

Books
An excellent way to begin to understand what God is like and who he is are Christian books. There are some absolutely inspirational reads that will not only help you but inspire you into wanting more of God. I’ve put together a list of some of those that I have read and have inspired me.

Jargon
Christian jargon can be pretty confusing if you’re new to it. Why so many complicated words and phrases? Normal people don’t speak like that. Try my ‘Jargon Buster‘ to help make sense of it all.